The Real Lord’s Prayer Part Three. Jesus Prays for His Apostles. (John 17: 20-25)

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Episode Notes: 

Introduction

• Context: Jesus prays knowing the cross is imminent.
• Audience: Future believers – including you and me.
• Main Themes: Unity, sanctification, and mission.

Jesus’ Prayer for All Believers

1. Unity
   • Verse 20-21: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you."
   • Significance: Jesus desires believers to be unified, reflecting the unity between Him and the Father.
   • Impact: Unity serves as a powerful witness to the world.
2. Glory and Love
   • Verse 22-23: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity."
   • Glory: Jesus shares His glory with believers to foster unity.
   • Love: Jesus prays for believers to experience the same love that the Father has for Him.
3. Presence with Jesus
   • Verse 24: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
   • Desire: Jesus wants believers to be with Him in heaven and witness His glory.
   • Assurance: This prayer guarantees that Jesus’ desires will be fulfilled.
4. Knowledge of God
   • Verse 25-26: "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
   • Revelation: Jesus reveals the Father to believers and continues to do so.
   • Love: The ultimate goal is for believers to have the love of the Father in them.

Application:

• • Embrace our role as Christ’s representatives in the world.
  • Engage with the world while maintaining our distinctiveness as followers of Christ.
  • Steps to effectively live out our mission: evangelism, service, and being a living testimony of God's love.

Conclusion:

• Reflect on the truths we've uncovered today.
  • Jesus’ prayer for our unity, sanctification, and mission.
  • The significance of Jesus praying specifically for us.

Transcript

The Lord’s Prayer – Part Three – Jesus Prays for those who Choose to Follow Him. (John 17: 7-25)

Transcript

Host: Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of "TBPDP," the podcast where we delve deep into the heart of Scripture to uncover the truths that can shape our lives today. I’m your host, Jeremy Mccandless, and I’m thrilled you’re here with us.

Today, we continue our series on the Real Lord’s Prayer. In our last two episodes, we explored Jesus' prayers for Himself and His apostles. Now, we turn to the climax of this powerful prayer—Jesus prays for all who will choose to follow Him. Yes, that means He prayed for you and me, long before we were even born!

Imagine the scene: Jesus, knowing the weight of the cross is imminent, pauses to pray for all future believers. His words transcend time and space, reaching into the very fabric of our lives today. How incredible is that?

In John 17:20-25, Jesus speaks to the Father about our unity, our sanctification, and our mission in the world. These verses hold profound implications for our faith journey, our relationships, and our purpose.

So, grab your Bible, find a quiet spot, and get ready to be inspired. Whether you’re a long-time believer, a new follower of Christ, or someone curious about the Christian faith, this episode is for you. Together, let’s dive into the words that Jesus prayed with you in mind.

Stay tuned, because what you’re about to hear could change the way you see your relationship with God and your role in His grand story.

Jesus Prays for All Believers.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

(John 17: 20-25)

In this final part of His prayer, Jesus focuses on His disciples, asking the Father to keep us sanctify us. He emphasizes the importance of being in the world but not of it. 

He doesn't pray for our isolation but for our insulation—that we remain untouched by the world's sinfulness while actively engaging with it. We are to be in the world but not of it, like a ship in water but with no water inside the ship.

Sanctification is a cooperative process involving both God and us. Jesus sends us into the world, and the Father sanctifies us through His truth. This involves a daily commitment to living out His word and being His representatives in the world.

I think all of these references indicate that our unity is achieved through the word of God. There is a popular sentiment that truth divides, and in some sense that is true, in that it creates a dvidiving line between truth and error.

But as I understand the prayer the Lord is praying in this passage, it is through the word of His apostles, as incorporated into the Scripture, that we are united. This unity is obtained through the word of God; we are unified through the word.

There is one other thing He asks for: not only that we be unified, but that we be glorified. Look at verse 24: Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” He prays that we would be glorified, expressing His desire for believers to be with Him in heaven to see His glory.

This prayer is significant because it emphasizes that any prayer Jesus prays will certainly be answered. Jesus says, “Father, I desire...” showing His will, which will be fulfilled. He is expressing His will for us to be glorified and be with Him in heaven.

Notice the phrase “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me.” This shows Jesus expressing His will. We often remember Jesus praying, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” but here, He states His own will based upon who He is. This can be seen in may ways as His last will and testament, where He desires that we be with Him in glory.

As you can see, we have only touched the surface this last few days. 

There is much depth in this passage of Scripture, which could be explored in even more detail. However, to summarize, the real Lord pray he prayed for Himself to be glorified, for the apostles to be sanctified, and for all believers to be unified and glorified. 

There is a sense in which we already possess what He prayed for. Ephesians 4 says, “We should endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. Showing that we already have the unity of the Spirit that He prayed for. Romans 8 tells us that we await our glorification, indicating that we will be glorified with Him in heaven.

Therefore, we have what He prayed for, yet we also need to work towards these goals. We need to actively glorify Jesus Christ, strive for sanctification through the truth of God's word, and pursue unity among believers. Jesus’ prayer calls us to glorify Him, by being sanctified in Him, and by being unified in Him. 

But now let me make another suggestion. Could it be—just could it be—that those three things are related? If we were glorifying Christ, wouldn't that lead to our sanctification? And if we were glorifying Christ and being sanctified, wouldn't that naturally result in unity among us? 

Does that make sense? It's really all about the purpose and motive of our hearts. If our intent is to manifest Jesus Christ, sanctification and unity would follow.

When we focus on glorifying Christ, sanctification becomes a byproduct. We wouldn't have to worry much about being sanctified because it would happen naturally.

Similarly, unity would also come more easily. We would practice meekness and submission toward one another, fostering unity and reducing division.

Let's look at it another way. Many people talk about the "me" generation, where everyone is primarily concerned with themselves. The underlying intent is often to glorify oneself. This mindset leads to division and dissension because at the core, it's about "me"—my rights, my needs, my desires.

Now, suppose our focus shifted. Suppose our primary aim was to manifest Jesus Christ. In such a situation, we would be serving the Lord and striving for holiness. Unity would naturally replace division.

Once, I was talking with a married couple who had been struggling. Each partner insisted that the other needed to change. After listening to them for several weeks, I pointed out that both of them were waiting for the other to change. Each had set their heart on the other person changing, which created a stalemate.

I told them that they needed to decide to do what God told them to do, regardless of what the other did. When we set our hearts on manifesting Jesus Christ, on doing what He wants us to do, personal agendas fade away, and unity follows.

So, let me ask you a question: When people meet you and get to know you, do they really see the Lord in you? Are you manifesting His love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, self-control, and graciousness? Or do people see someone who always wants to stands up for their own rights?

So as we draw to a close on this final episode of three looking at what I have called “The Real Lord’s Prayer”, let's take a moment to reflect on the truths we've uncovered today.

Jesus, knowing the immense sacrifice He was about to make, paused to pray specifically for you and me. How awe-inspiring is that?

In John 17:20-25, we've witnessed Jesus' heartfelt prayer for our unity, our sanctification, and our mission. He is now not only praying for His immediate disciples but for every believer who would come after them. That's you. That's me. That's all of us, united by His love and His sacrifice.

Let's remember, Jesus prayed for our unity. In a world that's increasingly divided, He called for us to be one, just as He and the Father are one. This unity isn't just a lofty ideal—it's a powerful witness to the world of God's love and truth. 

Each of us has a role to play in fostering this unity within our communities, churches, and beyond.

Jesus also prayed for our sanctification. He knew we would face challenges, temptations, and trials. Yet, He prayed that we would be set apart, made holy through the truth of His Word. This is a daily call to live out our faith authentically, allowing His Word to transform us from the inside out.

And finally, Jesus prayed for our mission in the world. He didn't ask for us to be taken out of the world but to be protected from the evil one as we carry out His mission. We are called to be salt and light, to bring hope, love, and truth to a world desperately in need of the gospel.

So, as you go about your week, remember that Jesus has already prayed for you. He's interceded on your behalf, ensuring that you have everything you need to live a life of faith, purpose, and impact.